New Moon Studio Space plans fall opening for rental workspaces for Springfield artists
The development of New Moon Studio Space is back in action, after about a yearlong hiatus.
New Moon Studio Space co-founders Kate Baird and Mike Stevens are purchasing the historic building at 2574 E. Bennett St. from the Junior League of Springfield in hopes to develop a studio space dedicated for local artists. The sale closes on Wednesday and Baird said she hopes to open the studio's doors in September.
Previously, Baird and Stevens were in the process of obtaining the old Doling Elementary School, which had not been inhabited for about 20 years. Baird told the News-Leader that renovating the building began to look cost prohibitive, so they decided to step away from purchasing the building.
"The kind of great thing that came out of that was we did a lot of work and thinking and planning and had a really clear idea of what it is we want to do," Baird said. "When the opportunity arose for the Junior League building, we were able to pretty quickly be like, 'Yes, this is what we've been looking for.'"
The building at 2574 E. Bennett St. — formerly a school — is two stories and approximately 10,000 square feet. As of now, the building has six large classrooms, a cafeteria-sized room and several smaller rooms. Baird said the plan is to add three-walled stalls to the cafeteria and possibly sub-divide the large classrooms into smaller studio spaces. In total, Baird anticipates about 20-30 studio spaces to be available.
Studio spaces will be available to rent monthly. The smallest spaces, the three-walled stalls, will be about 100 square feet and range between $125-$135 per month. If an artist shows interest in one of the full larger classrooms, which are about 715 square feet, the rent will be about $795 per month. The larger studio spaces will include locked doors with keypads.
Following the closure of the sale on Wednesday, Baird said she and Stevens will give the walls a fresh coat of paint, install utility sinks and door keypads and get the internet up and running. Creating the three-walled stalls will be more of a long-term project.
Initially, Baird and Stevens wanted New Moon Studio Spaces to feature a gallery for local exhibitions and to host workshops and classes. Baird said they have changed their minds to focus more on their mission to create safe, functional workspaces, due to the building's current zoning. Down the line, these features may be added, she said.
New Moon Studio Space is hosting an open house at the new building from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 19. Artists interested in inquiring about studio spaces should contact Baird at kate@newmoonstudiospace.com.
Junior League of Springfield relocates
The Junior League of Springfield is relocating to the building at 1616 S. Eastgate Ave. The organization signed a one-year lease with the Ozark Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America for the space. The new building will provide office, meeting and storage space for the Junior League of Springfield.
"The decision to move the JLS headquarters was made to optimize efficiency, enhance capabilities to better serve members and fulfill the mission, and ensures spaces are accessible for everyone in the community," a news release stated.
During the transition, the Junior League of Springfield will continue operations and starting on Wednesday, all business will be conducted at the new location between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: New Moon Studio Space aims to open location for artists this fall
